Welcome back to another fun set review. Today Forum Assistant Sisen takes a look at one of our newer heroes, Rocka. Not extra-large anymore, does he have what it takes to defeat the Black Phantom and to join your collection?

PresentationFrom the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.

The new packaging reveals Rocka going full throttle and fire his crossbow at some unseen foe, which more than likely deserved it. Unlike previous instances of Hero Factory, this year features a plastic re-sealable bag for a container. In previous years you could tear right into your containers but you are going to need some assistance to tear open these bags. (Scissors are recommended.)

Your packaging showcases the same-old information you usually see on a set. You have the Hero Factory logo and other pertinent set information, such as model number, age range, piece count, etc. Rocka looks pretty interesting on his bag though, so let's dive on in and see what the set is worth!

BuildingHalf the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?

Rocka comes with a decent sized bag of big parts and mixed bag of small necessities. There are a variety of black, gold, and silver pieces contained within the bags that make up Rocka. Moving on, Rocka is pretty much every streamlined Hero you have ever built at the torso level.

As you progressively add onto Rocka you can see how he varies from the Hero Factor of old. Armor is utilized in new and interesting ways and the weaponry provided is more than a stick in the hand.

The new shield technology is very interesting, but it poses some particular problems which will be covered later. Transparent neon-green is a cool color to go alongside Rocka and the shield looks pretty cool. The armor piles on and on and eventually... we have a hero!

Set DesignNow that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.

Rocka contains a few interesting new pieces along with the handcuffs the Heroes are using to detain criminals. Besides Rocka's unique helmet and chest plat there are some cool pieces in the set. The new blaster piece utilized for his crossbow is wicked cool and a neat way to integrate a weapon onto a Hero. My favorite piece has to be the shoulder pad which can be overlaid onto the Hero Factory armor we all know and love. It adds a lot more style and unique possibilities to building with this new construction system.

The construction of Rocka's crossbow is pretty unique and is awesome. I was expecting to get two of the transparent neon-green Thornax launchers, but I was okay with it after I realized it was going to be a crossbow. And apparently the crossbow just doesn't launch Zamor? He has some sort of Rambo ammunition pack of spears attached to the top of the crossbow.

PlayabilityThe other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?

Rocka is a lot of fun to play with just as any Hero would be. He makes up for what the earliest generations of Heroes lacked and it really shows in the set design. Whether you are posing him for display, having imaginary fights and conversations with the other sets, or just collecting pieces Rocka is a cool set.

My single gripe is the awesome shield. You lose some mobility in the arm and hand action... you sort of cannot utilize the shield as a real shield might be with the limited positioning. Wait! What was that?

Ninja Attack!

Yep. That shield is completely worthless against ninjas.

Final ThoughtsOnce it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?

ProsWhat's to like?

New intuitive pieces.

Armor modification.

Unique weapon design.

Integration of system.

Minimal use of pins/connectors.

ConsWhat's not to like?

The new shield lacks maneuverability.

Vulnerability to ninjas.

Minimal use of transparent neon green.

While he might be weak against Ninja attacks, Rocka is a cool Hero to own. He is on constant surveillance and ready to take on any evil doers that arise. I would certainly feel better with his heroic efforts around.

Big thanks go out to Sisen for putting together this review, and to LEGO for providing the set. Be sure to add any comments or questions in the Talkback. Keep checking back, there's plenty more coming in 2012 for us to review here on BZPower!